On the vast ocean, waves rose and fell in endless rhythm, occasionally revealing hidden reefs that were nearly impossible to spot with the naked eye, adding countless unpredictable dangers to these treacherous waters.
The snowfall from earlier had long since ceased, leaving only the howling wind to fill the silence.
Hearing Skull's startled cry, everyone aboard the Black Nova felt a jolt of confusion.
Although the Black Star Pirates and the Revolutionary Army had never formed a formal alliance, they definitely weren't enemies either. The two groups had always maintained their independence, and due to Kuma's previous connection and the relationship between Ace and Sabo, they occasionally exchanged useful information.
That's exactly why Skull and the others were so shocked to discover that the forces firing upon them were actually Revolutionary Army ships.
However, everyone quickly remembered that despite their occasional cooperation, the two sides had always belonged to fundamentally different factions without particularly close relationships. Their collaboration during the Marineford War had been nothing more than short-term cooperation born from shared objectives.
"Could they be after the pointer too?" Deuce wondered aloud, watching the massive fleet gradually emerge from the distant waters as he tried to understand their motivations.
Cavendish swung his sword with practiced precision, and crackling lightning formed a protective net around the Black Star in an instant.
"Whatever their reasons," he declared with cold determination. "Since they fired on us first, they should have expected the consequences."
Brook set down his violin, planted his sword firmly on the deck, and spoke in a grave tone. "I agree with Cavendish-san's assessment. Although I have fond memories of the Revolutionary Army's lovely ladies, there's nothing to be done about it now. Those who show hostility can only be treated as enemies."
Jerry put away his fishing equipment, looked up at the growing barrage of cannonballs coming within range as the distance closed, and rubbed his hands together with grim anticipation. "That's right—no matter what army they claim to represent, they're our enemies now."
Seeing that everyone was prepared for battle, Ace scratched his head with both hands and spoke with obvious reluctance. "How about letting me try to communicate with them first?"
Ace didn't want to become Sabo's enemy, at least not without understanding the full situation. He needed to learn what had driven his sworn brother's organization to this hostile confrontation.
After hearing his request, everyone paused their combat preparations except for Cavendish, who maintained his lightning barrier.
"Alright, it's your call," Jerry said, shouldering his fishing rod and raising his chin slightly. "We trust your judgment."
Noticing everyone's focused attention on him, Ace nodded solemnly and gestured to Kotatsu.
With Skull's expert technical assistance and Kotatsu's enhanced communication abilities, Ace successfully connected to the Den Den Mushi aboard the enemy flagship.
"Hello, hello! This is Ace. Please respond if you can hear me."
Ace repeated his attempts several times but received no response from the other side.
"That's strange," he muttered, turning to Skull. "Are we doing something wrong with the connection?"
"Boss Ace, you can question my romantic preferences, but never doubt my professional expertise," Skull replied with wounded pride.
As Ace disconnected the call, the Den Den Mushi lowered its head dejectedly, and no further sound emerged from the device.
"You're so persistent. What exactly do you want by staring at me like that?"
On the Revolutionary Army's flagship, a giant stood beside their Den Den Mushi, speaking in a deliberately obtuse manner. This was Morley, commander of the Revolutionary Army's West Army.
Lindbergh, the South Army commander, sat in his chair and asked with growing impatience, "Morley, why won't you respond to their communication attempts?"
"I don't want to talk to some bratty pirate," Morley replied with a dismissive wave.
Lindbergh turned his attention to the window, staring at the pirate ship wrapped in its protective lightning barrier in the distance. "It doesn't matter anyway," he said quietly. "Once the arrow is released, there's no calling it back. That pointer is just as important to our Revolutionary Army as it is to them."
"But Sabo refused to participate in this operation..." Emporio Ivankov observed, resting his elbows on the table while supporting his enormous head with his hands. "I imagine he must be feeling incredibly conflicted about all this."
Lindbergh glanced at the North Army commander Karasu, who was speaking animatedly but had forgotten to activate his voice amplifier, making his words completely inaudible to everyone else.
Then Lindbergh shook his head and, seeing that Dragon remained seated in contemplative silence, spoke with serious resolve. "Although I deliberately leaked information about Egghead Island to Skull of the Black Star Pirates several days ago to draw them there, that maneuver did successfully clear out all of the World Government's defensive arrangements on the island."
His expression darkened. "But due to our earlier tactical errors, we failed to react quickly enough, which resulted in Kuma and Dr. Vegapunk falling under Celestial Dragon control..."
Before he could finish his explanation, Dragon suddenly interrupted. "Let's not dwell on past mistakes right now. Our most urgent priority is securing that pointer. According to information that Vegapunk once shared with us, it may be the key to overthrowing the World Government entirely."
"Dragon-boy! Leviathan Jerry and Fire Fist Ace are extremely dangerous opponents," Ivankov reminded them urgently. "They're the ones who defeated both Kaido and Big Mom!"
Although he knew everyone had discussed this extensively before committing to their current course of action, he couldn't help but emphasize the enormous risk they were taking.
Long before this confrontation, they had held countless strategy meetings debating whether to force a conflict and attempt to seize the pointer through military action.
Sabo had been temporarily excluded from the decision-making process due to his personal relationship with Ace, creating an obvious conflict of interest.
However, just as they were finalizing their deployment plans, news reached them that the Black Star Pirates had achieved the impossible—defeating both Kaido and Big Mom during the battle for Wano Country.
While this information shocked them to their core, they also realized that if they didn't act immediately, they might never have another opportunity to obtain the pointer.
Because of this urgent timeline, the Revolutionary Army had assembled hastily and decided to attempt an interception in these particular waters.
This location had once been the site of an ancient island before rising sea levels submerged it completely, leaving behind countless hidden reefs and limiting water depth significantly. After careful tactical consideration, they believed this terrain would effectively counter the Black Star's ability to dive underwater while giving their own forces a strategic advantage.
As for why they hadn't proposed peaceful negotiations, they had put themselves in the pirates' position and concluded that no crew would willingly surrender the key to legendary treasure, no matter what compensation was offered.
"It's precisely because we understand how dangerous they are that we must take advantage of this rare opportunity while their injuries from Wano haven't fully healed," Dragon stated with cold calculation.
After hearing their leader's reasoning, Ivankov nodded silently and said nothing more.
Following a brief final discussion, they prepared to leave the cabin and initiate their attack.
Their assessment was accurate—due to the serious injuries sustained during the Wano Country battles, both Cavendish and Ace hadn't fully recovered in such a short timeframe, though Carrot and Brook remained in perfect fighting condition.
As for Jerry, who had also suffered significant wounds, his extraordinary recovery abilities had already healed his injuries completely, leaving no trace of his previous battle damage.
Back on the Black Star, everyone watched as Ace allowed Skull to continue adjusting the communication equipment, waiting for his explanation of the situation.
Ace hesitated for a moment before speaking with obvious concern. "I can sense an extremely powerful presence over there—multiple strong fighters, actually."
"Yes, and if I'm not mistaken, it's most likely someone I've encountered before," Jerry observed, glancing toward the enemy flagship with characteristic calm.
Jerry wasn't particularly surprised by the Revolutionary Army's aggressive behavior. After all, despite their surface-level friendship, the two sides had never been genuinely close allies, and there had been no major conflicts of interest between them previously.
Now that they found themselves on opposing sides, Jerry wouldn't show mercy just because Dragon was Luffy's father. He was someone who could resist even the most compelling emotional appeals when necessary.
"Ace, while you're still young and idealistic, you need to learn that sometimes action is more important than hesitation," Jerry said with a mixture of wisdom and encouragement. "When the moment comes to fight, you strike decisively."